J35.0 vs J36
J35.0 (Chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis) compared with J36 (Peritonsillar abscess), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. J36 carries an Excludes1 note covering J35.0: “chronic tonsillitis (J35.0)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| J35.0Chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis | J36Peritonsillar abscess | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Billable |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J35.0). | Peritonsillar abscess is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J36). |
| Includes | — | abscess of tonsil peritonsillar cellulitis quinsy |
| Use additional code | — | code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent. |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources